Exploratory Program Overview

The Shanghai American School community values a high quality program that allows students to develop self-knowledge and opportunities for enrichment. Through these exploratory elective options, students will move closer to an understanding of the EAGLES. Exploratory classes are learning experiences that build upon the skills taught in core classes. This supports our belief that content should not be taught in isolation but applied in the context of real experiences. The program reaches out to students in this critical point in their development and encourages them to think beyond themselves and to effectively interact with others.

Exploratory Objectives
We at Shanghai American School believe that…

  • Students should be provided opportunities during the school day to make authentic personal choices from a broad spectrum of exploratory elective courses.
  • Students are empowered when they choose their exploratory elective courses with guidance from their advisor.
  • Students should have opportunities to reflect on their past and future exploratory elective choices.
  • Students can foster self-knowledge and discover their unique talents and abilities through hands-on experiences and interactions.
  • Students are provided opportunities to become global-minded citizens and to make contributions to society.

Exploratory Logistics
• Exploratory occurs for the last 45 minutes of the day on Tuesday and Thursday.
• No homework, no tests. We are working on including assessments within our EAGLES standards.
• Students will take 1 Exploratory per quarter for a total of 4 Exploratory courses over the year. There are a few exceptions such as Model United Nations.
• Students will sign up for Exploratory in Home base under the Guidance of their Advisor. We want this to be student-driven. Parents will be informed of offerings and are encouraged to discuss the options with them.